News

New Amendment Added to New Jersey Law Against Discrimination

On March 18, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law Senate Bill 121 (“S121”), amending the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (“NJLAD”). The NJLAD is New Jersey’s central anti-discrimination law. NJLAD prohibits employers from discriminating against employees in any job-related action, including recruitment, interviewing, hiring, promotions, discharge, and...

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UPDATE: Supreme Court Agrees to Determine Legality of PTO’s Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees in Review of Denials of Applications

As an update of my reporting concerning the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s controversial policy of seeking to recover attorneys’ fees in connection with district court review of denials of trademark and patent applications, the Supreme Court today granted the petition for certiorari in Iancu v. Nantkwest and agreed...

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Intellectual Property Update: As Predicted, Copyright Office Denies the “Carlton” Copyright Registration and Raises Ownership Questions

Recent developments in the copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Alfonso Ribeiro, known for playing Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, against video game maker Epic Games confirm the questions raised in my prior post as to whether Ribeiro could register a copyright in the Carlton dance and bring a...

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Can I Copyright My Funky Dance Moves? Ask Intellectual Property Attorney Larry Brocchini

The recent filing of a federal copyright infringement lawsuit by Alfonso Ribeiro—“Carlton” on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and YouTube celebrity, famous for "the Carlton,” his arm-swinging movements to the Tom Jones diddy "It’s Not Unusual"—raises the question of whether and to what extent choreographed dance moves can by copyrighted...

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Employment Update: Supreme Court Finds Independent Truckers Not Subject to Arbitration under Federal Arbitration Act Exemption

In a rare, but limited, win for employees on the issue of arbitration of employment disputes, a unanimous Supreme Court today ruled in New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira that trucking company New Prime Inc. cannot compel arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) in a class action alleging failure to...

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